1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to electronic commerce, and more particularly, to co-browsing in an electronic commerce system.
2. Description of Related Art
As an increasing number of consumers use computers for shopping via electronic commerce (“e-commerce”) stores, there is an increasing desire to provide facilities to bring the consumer closer to the conventional shopping experience. For example, e-commerce web sites offer virtual shopping carts, to which a buyer adds items to be purchased while continuing to shop, and express check out options for quick exit from the site when orders are small and fixed.
A familiar scenario in conventional stores, such as bookstores and video stores, includes shoppers browsing on the same aisle who engage in conversation. The shoppers may consult one another for suggestions or comments regarding recommended titles or products. The shoppers might help one another find an item of interest, or engage in discussion stemming from their common interest in a particular category of products.
As the geographical location of stores becomes mostly irrelevant in the web retail environment, and as the number of e-commerce shoppers increases, competition increases. There is a need in the art for methods and systems to attract and retain e-commerce customers, such as by offering attractive shopping environments that introduce elements of more conventional and personalized shopping experiences into the electronic marketplace.